Impact guide
• wolvis’ mission is to create exquisite knitwear pieces: tangible narratives that inspire, touch the heart, and foster genuine connections. We take our responsibility for developing innovative products seriously, always keeping our impact on the environment in mind.
Transparency is key: we openly share our small steps, aspirations for the future, as well as the challenges we face and areas where improvement is needed. We unveil this commitment in relation to the choice of fibers, design, production, retail, consumption, and end of life.
Raw material
Our primary resource is the exquisite yarn with which we knit and weave. The market offers a myriad of yarn options. To make well-considered decisions, we set guidelines for ourselves – an order of priority that enables us to make swifter and more targeted choices.
Yarn Color Selection
In our quest for new yarns, colour choice becomes the decisive factor. • wolvis makes no compromises when it comes to colour. Not all yarn suppliers offer a stock range, as it is called: yarns available in specific colors, varying from season to season, and always in stock. For • wolvis, such a stock range is essential, as our productions are too small to order custom colours 'on demand.' Therefore, we are compelled to collaborate with yarn suppliers who maintain an extensive stock range.
Natural Fibers
Furthermore, we aspire to work predominantly with natural fibers, such as cotton or merino wool.
Cotton
Cotton is valued for its lightness, breathability, and versatility. Its lightweight yet durable nature makes it ideal for year-round wear, offering comfort in both warm and cool conditions. Cotton absorbs moisture efficiently while allowing airflow, keeping the skin dry and fresh.
Starting spring 2025, we will transition to using only GOTS-certified organic cotton. This certification guarantees that the cotton is grown without harmful pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, while also ensuring fair labor practices throughout the supply chain.
Here are some facts about the organic cotton we use:
• Sourcing: Turkey
• Spinning & dyeing: Italy
• GOTS certified
Merino wool
Merino wool is prized for its exceptional softness, breathability, and temperature-regulating properties. Unlike traditional wool, merino fibers are much finer, making them gentle on the skin and comfortable for everyday wear. This natural fiber wicks moisture away, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer, while its antibacterial properties help resist odors. At • wolvis, we work with extra fine merino wool to ensure a luxuriously soft feel without irritation.
From winter 2025 onward, we will exclusively use RWS-certified merino wool, ensuring high animal welfare standards and responsible land management. This guarantees that our wool is mulesing-free and ethically sourced, offering both comfort and peace of mind.
Here are some facts about the merino wool we are currently using:
• Sourcing: Australia, South Africa,New Zealand and South America
• Spinning & dyeing: Borgosesia (Italy)
Monomaterial
We prefer to work with 100% merino wool or 100% cotton, mainly because it makes recycling a garment much easier. However, in certain cases, we may make a concession to extend the quality and/or lifespan of a piece. Nevertheless, we have set a minimum threshold of 50% natural fibers for an end product.
In the wrist cuffs of mittens and gloves for instance, elastane is added to provide stretchability and shape retention, ensuring a snug fit around the wrist. Similarly, in socks, polyamide is added to increase durability in the heels and toes.
Certified Yarns
We aim to embrace yarns with quality labels, yet encounter a few challenges along the way. Yarns with certifications often come with higher price tags, though this does not necessarily guarantee superior quality. Moreover, a variety of certificates is flooding the market and the process of obtaining them has turned into a somewhat ambiguous practice, often entailing significant expenses. As a result, the task of discerning the most suitable choices has become increasingly challenging.
After careful consideration, we have chosen two certifications to guide us in our future yarn choices:
• RWS-certified merino wool: ensuring animal welfare and mulesing-free practices
• GOTS-certified organic cotton: guaranteeing sustainable farming practices and fair labor conditions
As of spring 2025, we will only be working with certiefied yarns.
Printing & Packaging Materials
For printing and packaging materials, we adhere to the following fundamental principles:
• All shipping boxes and envelopes are made from certified (FSC) and preferably recycled materials. Shipping boxes for retail purposes primarily consist of reused boxes from our own (yarn) deliveries.
• All printed materials are produced on certified (FSC) and 100% recycled paper, limited to a minimum.
• All other accompanying promotional materials or gift packaging are recyclable.
Design
Throughout the design process, we keep in mind three fundamental principles:
1
Our designs are timeless and not tied to passing trends
2
Our designs have an intrinsic quality and can be cherished season after season
3
We strive to minimize production waste
Production
We maintain 100% of our production within Europe, with 90% in Belgium and 10% in the Czech Republic.
Alex in the Wolvis studio in Ghent Belgium
© Thomas Dhanens, 2024
All our scarves and garments are skillfully knitted in Belgium. However, beanies, socks gloves and mittens are crafted using specialized machines, which, unfortunately, have become rare in Belgian knitting ateliers. We discovered a new partner in the Czech Republic that aligns perfectly with our production standards and values.
90% Belgium
10% Czech Republic
100% Europe
To ensure good synergies with our production partners, they embrace our "Code of Conduct" (currently in development), an ethical and legal framework that outlines our production standards and values. This commitment ensures that we share the same principles with our esteemed partners.
In our journal we engage in conversations with our production partners because we believe it is essential for our customers to know the artisans behind their wolvis pieces. Each of our partners boasts a rich family history in the industry, making their stories all the more captivating.
• Wolvis production locations
Cotton
• Sourcing: Turkey
• Spinning & dyeing: Italy
Merino wool
• Sourcing: Australia, South Africa,New Zealand and South America
• Spinning & dyeing: Borgosesia (Italy)
Knitwear production
• Scarves & garments: Waregem (Belgium)
• Beanies, gloves & mittens: Borová u Policky (Czech Republic)
• Fluffy color-blocked socks: Oudenaarde (Belgium)
• Patterned socks: Borová u Policky (Czech Republic)
Weaving mill
• Scarves: Waarschoot (Belgium)
Retail
In an age of overconsumption, we believe shopping should be a conscious choice instead of just another transaction.
Making informed decisions starts with access to clear, honest information, which is why transparency is at the heart of our retail approach. From the origins of our materials to the impact of our production methods, we want our customers to understand the journey behind every product. This impact guide is a key part of that commitment — helping you shop with confidence and purpose.
Digital product passport
To make our communication even more transparent, we’re working on the next step. By winter 2025, we plan to introduce QR codes on each product, allowing customers to trace its entire production journey. Our ultimate goal is to make as many links in this chain visible, with the ultimate aim of ending at the grazing sheep.
Sustainable shipping
In 2023, we started a partnership with Cargovélo. On the • wolvis webshop, customers have the option to choose between local pickup, standard shipping via Bpost or Cargovélo, the sustainable alternative, for a nominal extra charge.
Consumption
Our mission is to ensure every • wolvis item is cherished, passed on, and cherished again. To make this possible, we embrace a circular approach starting with offering our pieces for rent through Dressr, so more people can enjoy them over time. We also provide an in-house repair service to keep our knits in use for as long as possible. And because longevity starts with innovation, we continuously research the lifespan of our garments, exploring new ways to make them even more durable for the future.
Rent, return, repeat.
We don't support overconsumption, however the more people who can enjoy our products, the better. That’s why we’re big fans of clothing rental. Since 2021, our knits have been available for rent on the Dressr rental platform, giving more people the chance to enjoy high-quality pieces without the need for permanent ownership. By embracing rental, we extend the lifespan of our garments and contribute to a more circular fashion model.
Reparing = caring
We want every • wolvis piece to be worn and loved for as long as possible. That’s why we provide thoughtful guidance on care and maintenance. With every online purchase, customers receive a leaflet with detailed care instructions for their item(s). Additionally, the website offers maintenance guidelines for various materials.
For minor damages or small holes, we currently offer a repair service, carefully mending each piece by hand for a small fee. As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a partner to help carry out this labor of love.
This autumn, we will launch repair tutorials and written instructions, enabling skilled customers to handle minor repairs themselves.
made to last
Since longevity starts with innovation, we're constantly assesing the lifespan of our garments, exploring new ways to make them even more durable for the future.
In the beginning of 2025 we've partnered up with COSH! to track the real-life use and wear of our knits, gathering valuable data on how often our pieces are worn and how they age. This research will help us refine our designs and materials, offering better durability, repair services, and resale options
Forever loved
In the fall of 2025, we aim to launch our own preloved program. We believe our pieces should be loved more than once, so we’re offering customers the chance to return their less-loved Wolvis knits to us. We’ll carefully restore these pieces and place them in a second hand resale system, allowing someone else to give them the love they deserve and create lasting memories.
End of life
Since autumn ‘23, we have started to explore possibilities for upcycling your wolvis. We hope that through these experiments, several upcycling projects will emerge, inspiring our customers to create something new from a discarded (for example, shrunken) wolvis piece.
As there is currently no separate waste collection or sorting system for 100% wool in Belgium, we are creating our own answer to this.
Unwearable and irreparable scarves can be returned to us, and we will ensure they find their way into the appropriate waste stream.
